Wonder by R.J. Palacio

This book is about a fifth grader named August. He is called "Auggie" for short, and of course I had to order it when it had mostly five-star reviews on Amazon. Plus, our Gabriel is a fifth grader, and his middle name is Augustus, and Len calls him "Augie" when he cheers for him in sports. Too many connections to ignore! I also ordered a copy for my sister Ann, and thought she would enjoy reading it to her 4th graders in California. I haven't talked to her yet to find out what she thought of it, but I think it's a winner of a book.

First of all, this story is about kindness. And who doesn't need lessons in kindness? And it is about August's struggle to be seen as a person, and not a freak. He was born with a double genetic disorder that has disfigured his face. It was fascinating to see the world through his eyes, particularly when people recoil from his appearance. I really liked the author's approach to telling August's story through multiple viewpoints, including his friends at school and his sister. It's also a very current book, revealing a fifth grader's world of school, assignments, friends, lunch in the cafeteria, texting, and urban life.

It's a very moving story, where my feelings for August and his struggles were awakened. He describes his feelings very eloquently, particularly his feelings of triumph. I think this book would be a captivating read-aloud for a class and it would certainly spark great discussions about seeing "others" versus seeing real people, about kindness and knowing who you are, about growing up too fast, about family support, about making wise choices, gossip, and many other relevant-to-young-people themes. It would also be interesting for a teacher to discuss the feeling of unity that came about in August's class. It could show the benefits and joy of a group of students who learn to appreciate each other. Rich material indeed for today's kids...and today's adults as well!